


Turning Point

by schizoauthoress



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-25 11:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10763079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schizoauthoress/pseuds/schizoauthoress
Summary: Dru bags herself a Slayer... and now the survivor has to be the one to stop Acathla. (AU of "Becoming" Part One and Two)Chapter Three (final): The Watchers Council says the Slayer has to leave Sunnydale.  She's not the only one who choses to go.





	1. Part One: Buffy

"Pretty little sunbeam girl," Drusilla laughs. She sways, almost dancing, just out of reach. Buffy sneers.

"The sun's a death sentence for you," she taunts, "Pretty sure I will be, too!" And she moves to attack the vampire, lashing out with a kick.

Drusilla seems to ignore the attack until the last moment, dodging so quickly Buffy is off guard. She gets in close to avoid the strike of Buffy's foot. Drusilla's elbow lashes out, cracking Buffy across the temple. Then she grabs the Slayer's throat with her other hand, forcing Buffy back against the checkout counter.

"Look at me."

****

"Be in my eyes," Drusilla says, soft and low, fingers dancing between their gazes. "Be. In me."

Buffy freezes under the weight of Drusilla's focus, the overwhelming force of the vampire's mad mind. She wants to struggle, to scream defiance, but her body won't obey. The face of the Master seems to flicker over her vision. She remembers when he hypnotized her like this. Terror fills her.

"Don't be afraid," Drusilla croons, swaying again. Buffy sways with her, body strangely heavy. Drusilla smiles, and whispers, too sharply, "sweetie pie."

Dad's nickname for her, Buffy remembers. He'll never use it again.

****

Kendra will come. Angel was a distraction again -- Buffy understands now. Part of her is glad that Kendra insisted on going instead. Angel won't be able to taunt Kendra, not like he could with Buffy.

Buffy is terribly aware that Xander and Willow are on the upper level of the library, hurt and helpless. Drusilla might decide to play with them... and the Watcher's journals made it clear that Drusilla breaks her toys. 

Drusilla laughs, and that mad, beautiful sound is all Buffy hears as inhumanly sharp nails open her throat. She falls, vision dimming, and thinks, 'I'm sorry, Mom.'


	2. Part Two: Kendra

Kendra runs -- muscles in her arms and legs burning, lungs protesting as she pushes the limit of Slayer strength and speed. She must get back to the high school!

She bursts through the main doors, silently cursing her slowness. 'Why didn't I see sooner that Angelus was acting as bait?'

His childe went after Buffy's allies. Kendra knows Drusilla is too strong for them to defeat.

Kendra shoves open the library door... and sees Buffy on the floor, still and staring. Kendra falls to her knees, taking hold of Buffy's hand.

One girl in all the world...

Now it's true.

****

"Freeze!" a voice barks out. Kendra turns, just enough to see that police officers have followered her inside the library.

"They killed my friend!" Kendra cries out, making her accent much heavier than normal. "Please... help me!"

The police were not expecting this -- obvious bewilderment in their eyes. One asks,

"Buffy Summers?"

"She's here." Kendra looks down, at the body.

Another officer mutters, "But... he said..." and is elbowed into silence.

Kendra stares, suspicious, then says, "Her ex-boyfriend was threatening her. He threatened all of us."

The police exchange doubtful looks, but their guns stay trained on Kendra. She's motionless.

****

"No more spells," Kendra declares, pacing, in the hospital room shared by Xander and Willow. "No souls. He's killed too many. He has Mr. Giles."

"But I--" Willow starts. 

"No!" Kendra snaps. "Angelus dies. I don't care what Buffy wanted, or how much you want to do magic. I'm the Slayer. I'll slay."

"After rescuing Giles." Oz says.

He's unhappy with her. Kendra can't care why. Whatever he's blaming her for, she likely deserves. She should have saved Buffy. She should have killed Angelus, ignoring Buffy's protests.

Willow starts crying. Kendra looks away. Can she?

"If I can save him..."

****

Willow wails, "Buffy would save him! Buffy would!"

Kendra stares, frozen, not sure how to respond.

Oz hugs Willow and murmurs something that quiets her again.

Kendra breathes in. "I am not Buffy," she says, "I can't promise. I want to save him. I'm scared that I can't."

"I believe in you," Xander says, still groggy from painkillers. Kendra wonders if he thinks she's Buffy. Then his dark eyes find hers, and there's no confusion there. "You'll save Giles, Kendra. And you won't have to do it alone."

Put them in danger again? Kendra shakes her head. "Yes, I do."

****

"This is ridiculously dangerous," Kendra grouses.

Oz smiles beatifically. "At least I don't have a broken arm. Or a concussion."

"Small mercies."

"If you can carry Giles out, fight off vampires, and drive him to safety all on your own..." Oz says mildly, trailing off.

Kendra glares, a little, because he's right and the others argued the same points. Cordelia is waiting in Oz's van, engine running, and Oz himself is heavily armed beside Kendra. Xander and Willow, mercifully, stayed at the hospital.

...Mrs. Summers is there, too. Kendra is afraid she'd be tempted to tell Buffy's mother the truth.

****

"You... shouldn't..." Giles struggles to speak. Kendra shakes her head, holding a finger to her lips. He'll bring attention to them, if any vampires realize he isn't alone. Giles persists, with a queston: "Buffy?"

Kendra lies, "Fighting Angelus."

Giles relaxes, relieved. Kendra is as gentle as possible, supporting most of his weight as they escape. 

Oz sees them and signals the van.

The old vehicles roars -- Cordelia must have floored the gas pedal. Kendra curses as the noise brings vampiric attention, but it can't be helped. She lifts Giles and runs. Oz keeps the first wave back, firing crossbow bolts.

****

With Giles safely in Oz's van, Kendra draws the sword, then grabs Oz's shirt collar with her free hand, and throws the werewolf into the van beside the Watcher.

"Go!" Kendra yells, slamming the back door on Oz's protest. Cordelia does.

Alone, outnumbered -- Kendra takes a swordfighting stance... and smiles. The vampires hang back, perhaps waiting for a witty quip. Kendra's smile goes hard, fierce.

She darts forward in silence, and collects a vampire's head before any can react. Only then does she speak, only then does she make a promise -- Kendra shouts, "You are all going to die, vampires!"

****

"You're a quiet one," Angelus laughs.

Kendra says nothing -- can't, because his last blow knocked the wind out of her. Angelus keeps talking. Kendra thinks he must be in love with his own voice.

"You think it makes you scary," he mocks, "but it only makes me want to hear you scream... even more than I already wanted that."

He approaches, grabs Kendra by the throat. She holds still, fighting instinct to struggle.

"You're no challenge," Angelus growls, "Not like Buf--"

Kendra kicks, with all her strength, into the vampire's crotch. He roars, pained and furious.

"Don't say her name!"

****

Kendra presses her advantage, springing to her feet and aiming a punch to Angelus's throat. He wants her to talk?

"She loved you!" Kendra shouts, even as Angelus dodges her punch. She tries to knee him in face, succeeds.

"She was foolish," Angelus says, grinning despite his bloody nose.

The Watchers would agree -- Mr. Zabuto had said as much. Kendra doesn't care. She remembers Buffy's obvious pain, and the kindness Buffy showed her despite that. Buffy was Kendra's friend.

"She was innocent!"

More innocent than Kendra was ever allowed to be. More trusting, certainly. She punches Angelus again, and again.

****

Angelus doesn't take his beating meekly; he grabs Kendra's arm and hurls her away. Kendra cries out as she impacts the wall.

But the sword is within her reach again! Kendra claws forward, when Angelus is distracted by coming up with filthy insults for her. The words don't even register. All Kendra cares about is stopping Acathla and killing Angelus.

He steps on her wrist, but focuses on her agonized shriek and grinds his heel into her flesh. He doesn't see her fingers find the sword's hilt. His weight shifts --

Slayer strength, Slayer speed, puts the sword in his chest.

****

Angelus staggers -- gapes down at the blade, and up at her.

You!" he chokes, "You--"

"Me." Kendra says loudly, cutting off another insult. She watches, unblinking, as the portal consumes the vampire's form, consigning him to Hell in place of the whole world. Kendra the Vampire Slayer stands victorious, apocalypse averted.

Part of her exults at the triumph but she cannot help but miss her 'sister Slayer'. Buffy is not at Kendra's side -- never will be again -- and it feels wrong.

Kendra rubs her brow with her uninjured left hand. She is so tired, but a Watcher awaits her report.


	3. Part Three: Departure

"Her death may have called another Slayer," Kendra says quietly.

For a brief moment, Giles is so angry he wants to hit her -- but he controls the urge, realizes it's not Kendra who angers him, but that her words echo what the Council would say.

Kendra looks at him cautiously, and Giles feels sudden shame. Does she recognize his anger, his violence simmering under the surface? He coughs.

"The... known Potentials?" he asks, with difficulty.

"None of them," Kendra says. "Mr. Zabuto says it could be a girl they didn't find.

"It could," Giles agrees. "I will look for her."

****

"There _are_ other Watchers," Kendra says.

"Nothing ties me here," Giles argues.

Kendra shakes her head. "Mr. Zabuto... the Council... they don't want me here. They won't let me stay. Not even... for the funeral."  
Her voice hitches.

Giles realizes he's been a callous fool. Kendra and Buffy were friends, at the end. Kendra hadn't had a friend before. She knows how to handle the deaths of enemies, not friends.

"They aren't here," Giles says. "They cannot stop you from paying your respects. I certainly won't. Buffy would..." he stops.

Kendra smiles. "Buffy would tell them off. So will I."

****

"You're both leaving?" Willow cries, voice breaking and wavering. "But you can't!"

"I must do as the Watchers Council says," Kendra replies, with regret.

"I must find the new Slayer," Giles says.

"Did the Watchers tell you to?" Xander asks.

Giles insists, "I must."

"Will the Hellmouth behave while you're gone?" Cordelia asks sarcastically.

Kendra frowns at that, looking thoughtful. "With the way prophecies seem to center here, probably not," she says. "But the Council would say it is my job to protect the whole world, not patrol the Hellmouth.

"I feel so much better about my impending gruesome death."

****

"Cordelia!" Willow scolds, wide-eyed. "Don't joke about that!"

"Who's joking?"

"The mortality rates in Sunnydale are what they are," Xander admits. "But that's why we're still gonna patrol."

"You're crazy!" Cordelia snaps.

"Xander, that's unwise." Giles protests, "None of you have the training or the ability..." 

"Exactly!" Cordelia cries.

"Then why did you let us--"

"All of you insisted, quite stridently." Giles says. "And... the Slayer... Buffy... was here to keep you safe. That... won't be the case anymore."

Kendra braces herself for Buffy's friends to look her way. If they ask her to stay, she's unsure she can refuse.

****

Xander and Cordelia start bickering. Giles sighs and removes his glasses for polishing.

And Willow looks right at Kendra. She asks, "Kendra, what about you? What do you want to do?"

"That does not matter," Kendra replies.

"Of... of course it does!" Willow insists.

"No," Kendra says, "it does not. There is more to the world than this Hellmouth."

"That's not so comforting," Xander says wryly, "When we live on this Hellmouth, y'know."

"I wish you wouldn't talk about putting yourselves in danger. I will worry about you. But I won't argue. We'll do what we must. All of us."

****

Willow says "You better write us!" at the bus depot. Her sad and serious eyes are at odds with her bright smile. Kendra hugs her tightly.

"I promise."

"If your Watcher gives you grief," Cordelia interjects, "Tell him you're getting reports from us on the Hellmouth. Just in case. He'll be impressed."

Willow laughs and declares, "It's proactive!"

"Stuffy old teachers love that crap," Cordelia says. "Stuffy old Watchers should, too."

Kendra doesn't hug Cordelia, but they share warm smiles. Xander's goodbye is awkward -- they settle for a handshake, as does Oz. Kendra is still unsure about boys, after all.

****

"And I will be coming back to Sunnydale once summer ends," Giles points out. "I'll be very upset if any of you children are dead."

"We'll be careful," Willow promises.

Oz nods. "No stupid risks."

Giles looks skeptical, and Kendra knows he's probably thinking that any risk these high schoolers take in facing dark forces will be stupid. But Giles can't stop them if he's gone. And he wants to find the new Slayer, if she exists.

Kendra hopes he will. He's a kind Watcher, compared to others she's met. With him, a new Slayer will be in good hands.


End file.
